~ Village Teacher – The Book & Photographs

Small Birds

One consequence of the cold that has been gripping our region is that all open water is frozen and the birds have a hard time finding water to drink. I saw a Carolina Chickadee jump on one of our deck railing next to the feeder, and it hesitated for a moment looking at some melted snow.

Carolina Chickadee: “Should I, should I not?”

Then it decided to go ahead and drink. The bird feeder was only a couple feet away but it ignored it.

Carolina Chickadee drinking snow melt.

A Dark-eyed Junco was nearby, perhaps waiting its turn.

Dark-eyed Junco.

Another Dar-eyed Junco was perched on a magnolia branch, all puffed up like a toy bird.

Ah blizzard :(. Poor babies… luckily they have you.
Here in SA, it is quite the opposite. Hot. Too much sun. They sit on our rooftop and watch the sun rise. Fed up waiting for us to arise, cooing and dancing on the roof begins. Wearily i draw open the curtains and there they are, nosily peering into the bedroom. We try to give them a variety of meals but their favourite is crumbed bread. My cockatiels watch them happily and experiences are shared. They dip into my late labradors water bowl and the significance is appreciated. The tubs that have greedily hoarded water for the garden is a brief bath. Wings apart, they sunbathe under the brunfelsia tree.
Just before we arrive from work, they park themselves and wait for supper.
My latest post reveals the dove in the sunshine.

We have a spa connected to our pool and I have to say (laughing of course) that it’s the drinking bin for all our neighborhood animals and birds. From birds (blue jays, cardinals, flycatchers, sparrows, hawks) to squirrels and even gecko’s – they all politely take their turns. It’s really very amusing.

Temperatures are supposed to climb to the high thirties, but only next week, after we get another load of snow and bitter cold. I’ll make sure to fill the feeder, and maybe put out a pan of warm water once in a while.

I look forward to the post that you do with the photos of the birds in your backyard, the images are always excellent! I love this one, for it shows how birds cope with the extreme weather that we’re having.

Thank you Jerry! I am staying home every day now, to keep out of the cold, and am taking this time to watch the birds that come by the bird feeder. It’s just amazing how they manage to survive the cold and the difficulty in finding food, and water.